Green coloring of table olives with chlorophyll compounds

ABSTRACT

A process for coloring treated and untreated green olives by using chlorophyll, chlorophyllin, and copper chlorophyllin salts is presented. The process includes soaking salt out of the green olives in sodium chloride of density from about 0% to about 7%. The process also includes sinking the green olives into a first fluid solution holding sodium hydroxide and other metal hydroxyl groups from about 0% to about 3.5%, chlorophyll chlorophyllin salts and copper chlorophyllin salts, in a ratio of olive liquid from about 0.45 to about 4. The process then includes leaving the green olives in the first fluid solution from about 1 hours to about 72 hours, removing the green olives from the first fluid solution, washing the green olives with water, and sinking the green olives into a second fluid solution holding an acid until a PH of the green olives becomes less than about 4.6.

The present invention concerns the procedure for coloring green olives, treated or untreated that are whole olives, pitted and olive pieces, using alkaline water solutions of Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllin and Copper Chlorophyllin salts.

It is known that the natural extracts of Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllin and Copper Chlorophyllin salts are used for the manufacture of sweets, ice-creams and conserved vegetables without any dangerous impact on health and are allowed to be used by the European Union (directive 20008/128EK 22-12-2008) and by the Federal Drugs and Foods Administration service of the United States of America (Federal Register Final Rule 67 FR 35429-May 20, 2002), producing a green bright color.

The treated and un-treated green olives, during the treatment to remove the bitter taste, to be fermented in a solution of sodium chloride and during the preservation in tank with brine in presence of organic acids that adjust the PH, they lose most of the Chlorophyll amount they contained and acquire a yellow, light yellow-green and sometimes a yellow-brown color.

Through this method the whole olives, the pitted olives, the stuffed olives and the olive bits acquire a uniformed green natural color.

The purpose of this invention is to attach a uniformed bright green color to treated and untreated, whole olives, pitted olives, olive rounds, in quarters and halves. This purpose was achieved by their sinking in alkaline environment with water solution of natural Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllin and Copper Chlorophyllin salts.

In the process of the present invention the whole, the pitted olives or olive pieces are sunk, according to each case, into a water solution which contains Sodium Hydroxide in density 0.01-3.5%, depending on the maturity and the fermentation degree of the olives, adding natural Chlorophyll, Chlorophyllin and Copper Chlorophyllin salts in the density of 0.005-0.9%. They remain for 6-16 hours, washed with water and then new water is added which contains Citric acid 0.1-0.3% and Ascorbic acid 0.1-0.15%. They remain there until the remaining of Sodium Hydroxide is neutralized. The last procedure is repeated until the PH of the system is balanced in a number less than 4.6.

The product is ready to be preserved into glass, plastic or tinplated containers with filling fluid of Sodium Chloride ranging from 0.0-7% depending on the consumers' wish and adjusting of the filling fluid PH with organic acids in a number less than 4.6. The firmly closed containers are led to the heating treatment or neutral gas, as any other kind of packing according to the good manufacturing process.

The product, the whole olives, pitted olives or olive pieces can be preserved into containers not firmly closed, adding brine containing salt more than 4% in the presence of organic acids of Citric, Ascorbic and Lactic acid so as to obtain a PH less than 4.5. The presence of the preservative Sorbate Potassium within the permitted limits by the law up to 0.1% is wanted.

The examples following below are given with a view to the further explanation of the present invention. It must be taken into consideration that the parts mentioned in the following examples mean weight parts and the maturity of the raw material is in the middle of the harvest period.

Example 1

Five hundred grams of whole treated olives mid harvest period, undergone full fermentation, remaining sugars less than 0.04%, are set into 480 grams of water containing 15 grams of Sodium Hydroxide and 0.9 grams of Copper Chlorophyllin remain for 7-12 hours depending on the environment temperature. The solution is removed and the olives are washed for their clearing from the alkaline residues and the redundant Chlorophyllin. The olives are set into 520 grams of water which holds 0, 6 grams of Ascorbic acid and 1 gram of Citric acid. They remain there until the PH is balanced in a number less than 4.6. If this is not achieved, the solution is removed and a new identical solution is used. A third effort may be needed. It depends on the way the olives are washed. The ready olives are preserved in a jar with filling fluid of Sodium Chloride solution 3% and Citric acid for the adjusting of the PH solution in a number less than 4.2. The jar, then, is pasteurized in the temperature of 75° C. for 8-25 minutes and then immediately it is cooled in ambient temperature.

Example 2

Four hundred and twenty grams of treated olives without a pit, mid period harvested and undergone a full fermentation, remaining sugars less than 0.04%,are set in 480 grams of water holding 13 grams of Sodium Hydroxide and 0.9 grams of Copper Chlorophyllin. They remain there for 7-10 hours, depending on the ambient temperature. Then, the solution is removed and the olives are washed for the clearing from the alkaline residues and the redundant Chlorophyllin. They are set in 520 grams of water which holds 0.6 grams of Ascorbic acid and 1 gram of Citric acid. They remain there until the PH is balanced in a number less than 4.6. If this is not achieved, the solution is removed and a new identical solution is used. A third effort may be needed. It depends on the way the olives are washed. The ready olives are set in 520 grams of brine which holds 10% Sodium Chloride, 0.1% Sorbate Potassium and 0.8% Lactic acid, in a jar with screw top. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A process for coloring treated and untreated green olives by using chlorophyll, chlorophyllin, and copper chlorophyllin salts, the process comprising: soaking salt out of the green olives in sodium chloride of density from about 0% to about 7%; sinking the green olives into a first fluid solution including sodium hydroxide or other metal hydroxyl groups from about 0% to about 3.5%, chlorophyll chlorophyllin salts from about 0.002% to about 0.9%, and copper chlorophyllin salts from about 0.002% to about 0.9%, in a ratio of olive liquid from about 0.45 to about 4; leaving the green olives in the first fluid solution from about 1 hours to about 72 hours; removing the green olives from the first fluid solution; washing the green olives with water; sinking the green olives into a second fluid solution holding an acid; and maintaining the green olives in the second fluid solution until a PH of the green olives becomes less than about 4.6.
 12. The process according to claim 11, wherein preservation of the green olives is obtained through at least one of: pasteurization, in a brine solution with food additives, and in a modified atmosphere.
 13. The process according to claim 12, wherein the green olives are set in closed containers with filling fluid including sodium chloride from about 0% to about 7% and additional acid, such that the PH of the green olives is maintained at less than 4.6.
 14. The process according to claim 13, wherein the closed containers are pasteurized in temperatures from about 68° C. to about 80° C. for a period from about 25 minutes to about 30 minutes and subsequently cooled in ambient temperature.
 15. The process according to claim 12, wherein the green olives, after being preserved in brine, are set in a container not firmly closed with brine as a filling fluid, including a density from about 3% to about 10% in sodium chloride, preservative sorbate potassium from about 0% to about 0.1%, lactic acid from about 0.1% to about 1%, antioxidant ascorbic acid from about 0% to about 0.2%, and citric acid from about 0% to about 1%.
 16. The process according to claim 12, wherein the green olives are set in packaging within the modified atmosphere.
 17. The process according to claim 16, wherein the modified atmosphere is at least one of vacuum, nitrogen gas, a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, and other noble gases.
 18. The process according to claim 11, wherein the acid is at least one of lactic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and hydrochloric acid or any combination thereof.
 19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the citric acid is from about 0.1% to about 0.9%, the ascorbic acid is from about 0.01% to about 0.3%, the lactic acid is from about 0.1% to about 0.9%, and the hydrochloric acid is from about 0.03% to about 0.5% or any combination thereof.
 20. The process according to claim 11, wherein the green olives are pitted treated green olives or pitted untreated green olives.
 21. The process according to claim 11, wherein the green olives are pieces of treated green olives or pieces of untreated green olives produced from green treated and untreated pitted olives, respectively.
 22. The process according to claim 21, wherein the pieces of treated green olives or pieces of untreated green olives are in the form of a slice, half pitted olive or quarter pitted olive.
 23. The process according to claim 11, wherein the green olives are natural olives picked from one or more olive trees.
 24. The process according to claim 11, wherein the coloring is copper chlorophyllin salt from about 0.002% to about 0.9%.
 25. The process according to claim 11, wherein the coloring is chlorophyllin salt from about 0.002% to about 0.9%.
 26. The process according to claim 11, wherein the coloring is chlorophyll salt from about 0.002% to about 0.9%.
 27. The process according to claim 11, wherein the second fluid solution is periodically changed to achieve the PH of less than about 4.6.
 28. A process for creating a bright green color for green olives, the process comprising: depositing the green olives in an alkaline environment with a water solution of chlorophyll, chlorophyllin, and copper chlorophyllin salts; leaving the green olives in the water solution for a predetermined period of time; removing the green olives from the water solution; washing the green olives with water; depositing the green olives into a solution holding an acid; and maintaining the green olives in the acid until a PH of the green olives becomes less than about 4.6.
 29. The process according to claim 28, wherein the green olives are one of untreated olives, treated olives, whole olives, pitted olives, olive rounds, olive halves, and olive quarters or any combination thereof.
 30. The process according to claim 28, wherein the acid is at least one of lactic acid, citric acid, ascorbic acid, and hydrochloric acid or any combination thereof; and wherein the citric acid is from about 0.1% to about 0.9%, the ascorbic acid is from about 0.01% to about 0.3%, the lactic acid is from about 0.1% to about 0.9%, and the hydrochloric acid is from about 0.03% to about 0.5% or any combination thereof. 